Cold comfort!

Coalition suspends insulation grants as big freeze returns
A Government scheme providing grants to insulate homes has closed until April despite the prospect of freezing temperatures continuing to bite across Oldham

And in a further blow to residents hoping to improve insulation in their homes and keep bills down, cash for the scheme next year is set to be almost halved.

The Warm Front scheme provides grants of up to £3,500 towards insulation and gas heating measures and £6,000 for oil heating to low-income families, the elderly, or people with disabilities.

But Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said all the money had been allocated for this financial year.

The scheme will re-open in April but funding will be slashed from its current one-year level of £195 million to £105 million a year for the next two years.

The Government said savings need to be made and that other measures would help people insulate their homes.

They include the Green Deal which will be based on a “pay as you save” scheme and allow home-owners or small businesses to fit their homes with loft, wall, floor and window insulation up to £6,500.

The upfront finance will be attached to the building’s energy meter.

People can pay back over time with the repayments less than the savings on bills.

Freezing temperatures across the borough have triggered cold-weather payments twice in recent weeks.

The £25 payments are triggered when the average temperature falls, or is forecast to fall, to 0ºC or below for seven consecutive days. They are paid to pensioners, severely disabled people and families with a child under five or a severely-disabled child, and those who receive pension credit or income-related benefits. Readings for the area are taken across the Pennines at Bingley.

The Government said it was committed to tackling fuel poverty — despite the scheme running out of cash for this financial year.

Mr Huhne said: “The coalition intends to tackle the underlying causes of fuel poverty by improving the energy efficiency of homes through our new Green Deal and by requiring energy companies, through the Warm Home Discount scheme, to provide financial support with fuel bills to more of the most vulnerable households.”

Latest figures show there are 11,356 households across the borough — 12.6 per cent of all homes in the area — classed as living in fuel poverty meaning they have to spend more than 10 per cent on their income on fuel bills.